


Snuggled up together like two birds of a feather

by Merry_rf



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Christmas, Fake Dating, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gay Bucky Barnes, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Past Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Pining, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Road Trips, Roommates, Sharing a Bed, Snowed In
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-09-22 19:18:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17065562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merry_rf/pseuds/Merry_rf
Summary: A road trip, Bucky said.It’ll be fun!Bucky said.Instead, Steve is frozen in a tiny car at Christmas time, and they desperately need to find somewhere to stay the night as a blizzard bears down on them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [splinteredwinter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/splinteredwinter/gifts).



> How many tropes can I fit in one fic? More than I thought! 
> 
> Thank you to [roe87](https://archiveofourown.org/users/roe87) for beta reading :)
> 
> For Splinteredwinter, for all the help with blogs recently, thank you!!
> 
> Title from 'Sleigh Ride' by Leroy Anderson and Mitchell Parish.

It was the weekend before Christmas and snow was falling. 

Ordinarily, snow would’ve been ideal. Steve would have been holed up in his apartment, hands wrapped around a hot drink, watching Netflix, and hanging out with his roommate and best friend, Bucky. 

Instead, he and Bucky were stuck in an ancient, tiny convertible on the I-95, somewhere in Maine, and the car had _no heating_. A blizzard had come up out of nowhere, completely unpredicted. 

At least the car had a roof. 

Steve shivered in his seat, wearing his coat, hat, gloves and scarf. Bucky wasn’t much better off in the driver’s seat next to him. His lips were starting to look a little blue. 

_Stop thinking about Bucky’s lips_. Steve knew that no good could come of Steve thinking about Bucky like that. More than twenty years of friendship, but never a glimmer of interest from Bucky had made Steve an expert in suppressing his feelings. But what they had was good, and he never wanted to have to give up his best friend. 

Bucky, of course, was the reason he was sitting in this freezing death trap. After years of working in his father’s auto-shop (starting in high school and continuing while they were both at college), Bucky had developed Opinions about cars. When he had found an Austin-Healey 3000 something-something (Steve wasn’t entirely clear on the details, but he loved the passion Bucky had whenever he was enthused about something) for a mere $15,000 (“It’s practically unheard of, Steve! Even the rust-buckets usually go for $30,000!”), Bucky had leapt upon the opportunity to acquire one of his dream cars at a ridiculously low price. Happily for Bucky, his job as a robotics engineer for Stark Industries paid well enough that the price wasn’t too much of a stretch. Though, all the Barnes’ were getting “a ride in the car once it’s fixed” in lieu of Christmas presents this year. He’d then suggested to Steve that they go and pick it up together and have a boys’ weekend slash road trip while they were at it. 

What Bucky didn’t tell Steve was that the woman they were picking the car up from was so far into Maine that it was nearly Canada, and that the car was completely unrestored, with no working electric features except for the wipers and headlights. So, no heat, and no radio. 

The weekend had started out fun. Getting a combination of trains and buses up to Maine, seeing parts of the country that neither of them had ever been to before. They’d had a nice night in a motel in Maine, before setting off home with the car. 

But instead it had been four hours of cold, miserable weather, and the snow was only getting thicker. 

Steve checked the weather alerts on his phone. _Shit_. “We’re going to have to stop, Buck, it’s officially a blizzard. They’re advising everyone to get off the roads for the next twenty-four hours.” 

Bucky sighed with displeasure. “Yeah, and it’s not like the car’s gonna be any good in bad snow. I don’t want to blow out the clutch when we’ve got so much more driving to do.” 

“I’m still amazed this thing even goes with all the rust under the hood.” 

“You’d be surprised what one of these old beauties can do. But I don’t want to push it too much, how about we stop when we get to New Hampshire. Can’t be far now.” 

“Sounds good to me,” Steve replied. 

Twenty minutes later, they were over the Piscataqua River and Steve was searching Airbnb for somewhere to stay. Nothing available. He googled motels. Nothing. Hotels, nothing. _What the hell?_ Not that many people could be stuck due to the weather, surely? 

Googling ‘Events Portsmouth, NH, 22-23 December’ revealed the answer. The National Taxidermy Convention had taken over the town and there was no accommodation around. 

“We might have to go to the next town, Bucky, it doesn’t look like we’ll find anywhere to stay here.” 

Bucky had been driving slowly up and down the streets close to the center of the town, looking for vacancy signs. “There!” he cried in triumph, pointing out a colonial house with a B&B sign swinging in the wind. It still read ‘vacancy’. 

He pulled them into a park and they scrambled out, best as their cold, stiff legs allowed them. Another downside to Bucky’s choice of car—it was small, and the leg room for two guys over six feet was minimal. 

“I really hope the sign’s not lying to us. I need to warm up,” Bucky said, rubbing his hands together. 

“Let’s go in and ask. Even if they are full, maybe they’ll know somewhere else that has a room free.” 

A small bell jangled as they entered the house and a cheerful, round-faced woman looked up from the reception desk. “Hello, how may I help you today?” 

“Have you got any rooms left?” Steve asked. “It seems like the whole town is booked out.” 

“We only have one left, and it’s probably the last one in town,” she said with a smile. 

Steve glanced at Bucky for an answer, and he nodded. “We’ll take it. We’re stuck due to the snow.” 

“Great! Could I get a name and credit card details, please? We’ll sort out the bill when you go, you might be here a couple of days.” 

“Thank you so much,” Steve said, reaching for his wallet, but Bucky beat him to it. 

“James Barnes,” he told the receptionist. “Put it on my card.” He turned to Steve with an apologetic smile. “Seeing as it’s my fault we’re out here in the first place.” 

Steve glared at him, not wanting to have a fight in front of the proprietor. “We’ll settle it later,” he said with his best _fight me_ look. Which, of course, Bucky was impervious to. 

Mary, their host, introduced herself before taking them up to the room. There was beautiful dark wood panelling on the stairs and walls, and the rest of the decor was very floral. It had a Laura Ashley vibe to it, like a catalog from the early nineties. 

“I don’t suppose you have any covered parking available?” Bucky asked, as they followed Mary down the hallway. “I’ve just bought a new car, but it’s very old and I’m worried it might not survive the night.” 

“Oh, sure,” Mary replied. “You’ll have to drive around to the back of the house, but we’ve got a spot free. You should show your car to my partner, Pat. Pat loves old cars. You’ll meet them in the morning at breakfast no doubt, as Pat does the cooking.” 

Bucky smiled. “Thank you very much, that’s one less thing off my mind. Now we just have to hope we’ll make it home for Christmas.” He looked at Steve. “Have you sent your Ma a message yet?” 

“No, I was gonna wait until we got the room, so she’d know we were okay.” 

“Well, here’s the room!” Mary announced, unlocking a door and leading them in. It was airy and bright, despite the dismal weather outside, and all done up in white and blue. Laura Ashley had been at work here too. 

“The bathroom is en-suite and quite generous, but I’m afraid the bed might be a little small for the two of you. Hope you don’t mind snuggling!” 

The bed. Steve looked at it with trepidation. It was a traditional four-poster, and looked like it was as old as the house. The downside was, that while it was a double, it was barely a double. Steve and Bucky each had their own queen sized bed at home, and Steve took up enough room in that all by himself. Hopefully neither of them would fall out of this bed in the night. 

“That’s alright,” Bucky teased, “Steve’s like a giant koala bear anyway, we’ll manage.” 

Steve flushed. Not because the koala bear thing wasn’t true, he’d shared a bed with Bucky plenty of times before, but because Bucky had just rolled with the implication that they were a couple.

It’d happened before of course, the two of them as close as they were. Bucky’s sister Rebecca constantly referred to Steve as Bucky’s husband. Bucky always brushed it off, politely correcting strangers, and with a ‘Shut up!’ to Becca. To Steve, it was plain that Bucky did not think of the two of them as such, and so he carried on suppressing his feelings and being grateful for what he had. 

Bucky glanced at Steve and gave him a small grin. “The room looks great! Thanks, Mary. Can you please show me where I can park the car?” 

“So polite! Of course, this way.” 

They trooped back through the hallways and down the stairs. Mary showed them through the guest’s breakfast room and communal lounge, where a cozy fire blazed. Mary explained to Bucky where he should move the car to. 

“We’re not having any activities tonight, as most people are at the convention, but if you’d like to join Pat and I for a drink later, you’d be most welcome.” 

“Thanks, Mary,” said Steve. “That’s real nice of you. Would you know where might we find something for dinner?” 

“The south end of the block has a small supermarket, or the north end of the block leads back to town,” Mary told them. “You’ll find plenty to eat there. Enjoy your stay!” 

Outside, the snow was starting to settle on the road. “Boy, were we lucky to find somewhere to stay,” said Bucky. 

“You texted Winnie yet?” 

“No… I should do that.” 

“How many texts have you got from her?” 

Bucky pulled out his phone and groaned. “Eleven.” 

There was a small garage at the back of the property, which had just enough space for the tiny Austin-Healey. They retrieved their bags, dutifully sent their mothers messages that they were safe and sound (Winifred had immediately called to check in with them both and reassure herself that they were fine), and then went to explore downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. 

The town square was typical of many of the small towns they had already been through on their journey. They soon found a cozy-looking diner not far from the town square. 

They each went for their usual dinner; a stack of blueberry pancakes for Bucky, and mac and cheese for Steve, a side of fries to share, and a milkshake each. Steve did the usual routine of teasing Bucky about eating breakfast for dinner, while Bucky rolled his eyes and slid some of his pancakes onto Steve’s plate. Steve felt warmth spread out from his chest. Bucky knew him so well. 

“Want to go for a drink?” Steve asked when they finished eating. 

“Yes… but no?” Bucky replied. “I’d like to just sit quietly, but all the bars we passed looked really full.” 

“Why don’t we have a drink back at the B&B then? I saw a liquor store on the way here, we could pick up some beers, sit by the fire?” 

“Always the man with a plan, aren’t you?” Bucky smiled. “Sounds perfect, let’s do it.” 

The snow was still falling as they made their way back to the B&B. Beers and a bottle of wine acquired, Steve was very much looking forward to sitting by the fire with Bucky. As far as being stuck in a blizzard went, this really wasn’t too bad. 

At the B&B, a few of the other guests were already sitting around the fire with Mary and Pat by the time Steve and Bucky got back. They sat on the remaining couch and joined in the conversation, learning more about taxidermy than they ever needed to know. Bucky was pressed close along Steve’s right side, thigh and hip warm against his own. He could feel every time Bucky shifted and moved next to him. 

Eventually it was just Mary and Pat, Bucky and Steve. While he should have expected it, after what had happened with Mary earlier, when the question came it still startled Steve a bit. 

“So, how long have the two of you been together?” Mary asked them. 

“Not that long,” said Bucky easily. Steve was shocked. He had expected that this time Bucky would correct Mary’s assumption. 

“Really?” Pat said. “You seem so natural together, I would’ve thought that you’d been together for years.” 

“Oh, we’ve been friends for years and years, so we already know everything about each other. Makes it pretty easy, really,” said Bucky, placing his hand on Steve’s thigh and giving it a squeeze. 

_What. The. Fuck._  

Steve felt himself flushing red. Bucky’s hand was really quite high up on his thigh. Why hadn’t he just put his hand on Steve’s knee? Like a normal person? 

Or, more to the point, why was Bucky pretending to be in a romantic relationship with his best friend? 

“Oh, I see,” Pat said, their eyes twinkling. “You’re still adjusting to the change, Steve?” 

“Yeah, something like that.” Steve was starting to feel a bit annoyed with Bucky. This wasn’t _fair_ dammit. Having to pretend to other people that this was perfect, but somehow not let Bucky know that this was everything that he had ever wanted? This whole situation was going to drive him up the wall. 

The conversation, thankfully, shifted to Bucky’s new car, but Bucky left his hand on Steve’s leg. 

Steve felt himself blush even _more_. Would Steve’s head explode from all the blood making him look like an enormous tomato? 

Soon enough, both he and Bucky began to yawn and they excused themselves, wishing their hosts goodnight. 

Once in their room, Steve confronted Bucky. 

“So we’re pretending to be boyfriends now?” he asked. “You usually correct people pretty quickly about that.” 

Bucky shrugged. “Mary seemed so nice, and I just went along with it.” 

“That’s it?” 

“That’s it.” Bucky started to rummage through his bag. “You want first shower?” 

Steve deflated. Nothing. Bucky had never shown an interest in Steve, and never would. 

“You go first.” Steve pulled off the covers and flopped onto the bed. Bucky disappeared into the bathroom. 

It was all just pretend.


	2. Chapter 2

Steve woke up the next morning to find Bucky, his head sharing Steve’s pillow, looking intently at him. As predicted, Steve had wrapped himself like a koala bear around Bucky, and now had to force his limbs to relax a little to stop clinging quite so hard.

“Sometimes I worry you might crush me to death in my sleep,” Bucky teased.

Steve groaned and moved onto his back, releasing Bucky from his apparent death-grip.

“Morning.” Steve closed his eyes again, wishing that sleep would reclaim him. Much easier than dealing with Bucky, so close and warm and soft, and all up in his face first thing in the morning.

Next to him, Bucky shifted. Steve opened his eyes to look at Bucky again.

Bucky had raised himself up on his elbow, and was looking intently at Steve. He was close enough that their breath mingled. Bucky had a look on his face, that Steve in his groggy state was having trouble placing. It wasn’t something that he’d seen directed at him before… Bucky was looking tender? Maybe? Or was Steve just projecting again?

“Morning,” Bucky replied softly. His gaze flickered down to Steve’s mouth, all the more noticeable because they were so close.

Bucky was looking at Steve’s mouth?

Bucky reached with his spare hand for Steve’s face, leaning forward even more— _was this really happening_ —to ruffle Steve’s hair.

Steve’s heart ached just a little, for the kiss that he knew he would never have, but hoped for nonetheless.

Steve rolled away and sat up. He couldn’t keep his composure with Bucky so close. That was the problem with sharing a bed, it made him want to be close to Bucky all the time. It was better to give them both some space.

He rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms. “You hungry?” he asked Bucky. “I want to see what Pat’s breakfast is like.”

Bucky sat up as well, his hip and shoulder bumping Steve’s. “Sure. Breakfast.”

The breakfast was great: Pat was making waffles with bacon, bananas and maple syrup for the cooked option, the coffee was freshly brewed, and the fruit, cereal and pastries were plentiful.

Steve looked out through the big windows of the breakfast room. Outside, the snow was deeper than the day before, though at least it had stopped actively snowing.

“Stay another day?” Steve asked Bucky.

“Yeah,” Bucky replied. “Hopefully the roads will be cleared by tomorrow. Don’t want to risk the car in this snow today.”

“Well, how about more breakfast, then we go for a walk?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Pat obliged Steve with more of their delicious bacon rashers, and Bucky had a banana. Bucky wrapped his lips around the head of the banana, and Steve had to look away.

On Mary’s advice, they walked down to the river after breakfast. There was an old bridge spanning the river, its grey paint flaking and rust spots showing through. It was a vertical-lift bridge, the middle section of the bridge rose up to allow boats to pass underneath it. On the other side of the bridge was an island in the river and they were back in Maine. Instantly there were boathouses with lobster pots hung from every available space. A woman rode past on a bicycle, ringing her bell at them as she went.

“I’m almost disappointed that wasn’t Jessica Fletcher,” Steve laughed once she had passed them.

“Who? I’m more interested in lobster!” Bucky said with excitement. “Why didn’t we try that the night we were in Maine?”

“Because we wanted pizza. Though we could’ve probably got lobster on pizza if we’d thought about it.”

“Missed opportunity.”

Back in Portsmouth, they found their way to a coffee shop. As the sun had finally begun to shine again, they got their coffees to go and took them to drink outside in the park across the street. The clean, fresh snow glistened on the flat expanse of the park.

They finished their coffees and Steve volunteered to take the cups to the trash can. As walked back to Bucky on the park bench, he had a devious idea.

They hadn’t had a snowball fight in years.

Picking up some snow, he packed it tight and hard, making a firm, round ball. Bucky’s back was to Steve and he hadn’t noticed what he was up to.

Quickly making himself a small arsenal of snowballs, Steve decided he was ready. He certainly had the element of surprise on his side.

“Hey, Bucky!” he called, as he readied his first snowball.

Bucky turned to respond. “Wha—”

Steve’s snowball hit Bucky firmly in the chest, and powder exploded all over him.

“Rogers, you _punk_!” Bucky ducked behind the bench and grabbed snow to make his own snowballs.

“Eat snow, Barnes!” Steve pelted Bucky with all his pre-made snowballs. By the time he’d finished, Bucky had got a few shots of his own in, and Bucky never missed. Steve realised his mistake in attacking from an indefensible position.

Only one thing for it—full on assault.

Ignoring the snowballs hitting his head and chest, Steve ran towards Bucky at full tilt. Diving over the park bench, he tackled Bucky to the ground, grabbing snow and shoving as much of it down Bucky’s shirt as he could.

Bucky let out a noise that strongly resembled a squeal. “Fuck, that’s cold! Get off me!” he said, pushing at Steve.

“Do you yield?” Steve said, pinning Bucky’s arms with a grin. Steve was a little stronger than Bucky, and he knew that Bucky knew it too. They were body to body, and Steve was lying across Bucky’s torso.

Bucky looked up at Steve, his expression suddenly changing. He looked almost… hungry, something flashing in his eyes.

“Yeah,” he said softly, more softly than Steve expected, given the circumstances. “I yield.” Just as suddenly, the strange look was gone. “Get off, asshole.”

Steve blinked, and moved away from Bucky to let him up. Bucky brushed himself off, and Steve followed suit. They were both covered in snow, and a little damp for it.

“Back to the B&B to dry off?” Bucky asked Steve, all trace of softness gone from his voice. Just normal, everyday Bucky.

Steve could feel a trickle of freezing water going down his back. “Great idea.”

The rest of the day was spent watching Netflix in the B&B’s communal lounge. Pat and Bucky had discovered a mutual love of a documentary series on fantastical architecture. Steve had brought his sketchbook and pencils with him, and sat longways across the couch, feet in Bucky’s lap, sketching out the sights they had seen in the town that day. The old bridge lent itself to the theme of architecture, though more along the lines of ‘industrial decay’ than ‘fantastical’. He’d sketched the Brooklyn Bridge so many times at home, it was good to try something different, with rigid steel and hard lines, as opposed to the smooth, flowing shapes that spanned the East River.

As the evening drew upon them, Mary came around with glasses of mulled wine. Bucky and Steve gratefully accepted, as well as the offer of dinner with their hosts. Mary had made a delicious spaghetti and meatballs, which they both scarfed down after realising that they had skipped lunch.

They headed to bed early, the mulled wine making them sleepy. But once in bed, Bucky a warm, comfortable presence against his side, Steve’s drowsiness vanished.

Bucky had been in a good mood all evening, giving Steve lots of sparkling smiles and intense looks. _What was up with Bucky?_

Steve lay, staring at the ceiling in the dim light that penetrated the room through a gap in the curtains. Could he really do it? Tell Bucky how he felt? It was just the wine making him feel brave, he knew. And they still had the whole trip home tomorrow. That would be awkward if things when as Steve expected. Better wait until—

“I’minlovewithyou,” Steve blurted in a rush.

_Shit_. His brain-to-mouth filter was definitely impaired. He snapped his mouth shut. Well. It was done. It was out in the world, and they would deal with it.

Next to him, Bucky turned over to face him, but said nothing. Steve felt Bucky move his hand to cup Steve’s face, his thumb brushed over Steve’s cheekbone. Steve felt like his heart was about to beat right out of his chest. He turned his head to look at Bucky.

For a long moment, they just stared at each other. _Why wasn’t Bucky saying anything?_ Anxiety built in Steve’s gut.

“Buck, you gotta say something. I’m guessing you don’t feel too uncomfortable about it, seeing as you haven’t pushed me out of bed yet, but seriously, Bucky, I need—”

And Bucky leaned in and kissed him.

It was warm and gentle, and Steve felt a giddy rush to his head that had nothing to do with the wine. Bucky brought his other hand around to hold Steve’s face, and then opened his mouth just a little, and swiped his tongue across Steve’s lips.

Steve seized the opportunity, opening his own mouth and licking into Bucky’s. Bucky tasted of toothpaste and just a hint of the wine they had been drinking earlier. Bucky opened his mouth further and then—their hands and mouths everywhere—Steve surged up to cover Bucky’s body with his own.

The bed gave an almighty creak and they both froze. Steve rocked his hips experimentally and it creaked again. With a sigh, Steve eased off and lay alongside Bucky again. This was clearly not going to be the ideal venue for their first time.  

He reached for and grasped Bucky’s hand, interlacing their fingers. “So…?” he asked.

“Well, I mean, I already knew that Steve. I’ve known since we were teenagers.”

Steve tore his hand away in shock. “You knew?” he said with disbelief. _And for so long_! Why hadn’t Bucky said something?

Bucky sighed. “Yeah. I remember you looking up at me, with hearts in your eyes, and thinking ‘oh, crap’, because I _know_ you Steve, I know how much you love, how all-encompassing that is, and I wasn’t ready for it.” Bucky’s voice cracked a little.

“It freaked me out. And then, when you got together with Peggy, I saw that big love happening for you with someone else. And she loved you back, just as big and fierce. I was angry at first. Mostly at myself for letting you go, but also at you for finding that with someone else. It was probably a good lesson for me to learn.”

“So why didn’t you say something after we broke up?”

“Because you were heartbroken. And you didn’t need me trying to swoop in so soon. You needed a friend, so I was that. But for awhile there, I wasn’t even sure if you felt that way about me anymore. You didn’t look at me the same.”

“Oh.”

Steve _had_ been heart-broken after he and Peggy split. He’d loved her very much, but timing and the Atlantic Ocean had meant their relationship was pretty much doomed from the start. Peggy had been in New York on a temporary work visa, and wasn’t able to commit to being in New York permanently.

Steve’s mother had been very sick at the time, and the idea of moving to London was unfathomable. Neither of them wanted a long-distance relationship, and so with great sadness and many tears, they had ended things.

The months after that for Steve hadn’t been good. He’d finally found someone he thought he could love as much as Bucky, and who loved him in return. Bucky had supported him through that gloomy time, but he hadn’t been in the mood for romance with _anyone_ for some time after the break-up. Combined with the worry for his mother, he could see why Bucky might have thought Steve’s feelings had changed.

But since then… Steve’s ma’s health had improved, and it had been two years since he’d gotten over Peggy and had started to date casually again. Bucky had dated in that time too.

“I’ve been over Peggy for awhile, why didn’t you say something?”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Because you’ve never shown any interest in me Bucky, until quite recently! And it’s not like there haven’t been other men in your life, so I just always thought you didn’t see me that way. So I was scared, and I didn’t want to mess things up between us.”

“I was scared too,” Bucky said, quieter this time. He found Steve’s hand again and held it. “Scared of changing us, scared because I know how much you love me, and could I ever return it enough, _be_ enough for you? You’re like sunshine, you’re so bright, but would you burn me up?” Bucky squeezed Steve’s hand a little tighter. “But I decided to be brave this weekend, put myself out there a little more, hoped that maybe you would see it. If nothing happened, I was psyching myself up to say something after Christmas. But you beat me to it, as usual.” He gave Steve a small hopeful smile. “I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to be ready for you Steve. But wherever you shine your light, from now on, that’s where I want to be, enjoying it with you. No matter what.”

Steve blinked. Bucky wasn’t usually one for grand speeches. That was usually Steve’s thing.

“Wow, Buck. You practice that in front of the mirror?”

“Punk!” Bucky pushed him, and Steve had to grab the side of the mattress to keep himself from falling off the bed.

“Jerk,” Steve said reflexively. He rolled back onto the bed properly and gathered Bucky into his arms. “I wish you had said something earlier, given me some hope… but if you weren’t ready, well, I’m glad we’re not rushing into things.” He laughed. “Rushing into things, it’s only taken twenty-five years to get this far, how long is it going to take to get to third base?”

Bucky shoved at him a little, but his heart clearly wasn’t in it. “I’ll show you third base, Rogers,” he murmured. But as he began to climb on top of Steve, the bed let out another massive creak, followed by a concerning groan.

“The bed doesn’t want us to have sex,” Steve pointed out.

“The bed is probably from the nineteenth century, Steven, and whoever made it probably never expected two grown men to be lying in it at the same time.” Bucky lay back down. “Koala me.”

“Ha! So you do love it!” Steve grinned as he wrapped Bucky in his arms again.

“Just like I love you,” Bucky replied, carefully and deliberately.

“Oh, Buck,” Steve said, and then kissed Bucky until they were both breathless again.

Eventually, the kisses became lazy and sleepy. The adrenaline spike after his confession and Bucky’s subsequent revelations had worn off, and Steve was exhausted, but happy.

He gave Bucky one final kiss. “Love you, Buck. Goodnight.”

Bucky pecked him on the nose and snuggled in. “Night, Steve. Love you.”

Sleep took them both quickly and gently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well done if you caught the reference to Murder She Wrote :)
> 
> Sadly, you cannot walk over the original Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth anymore, it has been deconstructed and the new version does not have the same level of 'urban decay'.
> 
> A happy festive season to everyone!


	3. Chapter 3

Next morning, both the sky and roads were clear. A bone-chilling wind was blowing but Bucky decided that they were better off trying to get closer to home, or all the way home if they could.

Wrapped up in all their winter clothing again, Steve just hoped that the next few hours wouldn’t be awkward.

He needn’t have worried. The conversation flow between them was normal, and Bucky kept looking at him and smiling. To the point that Steve had to remind Bucky to keep his eyes on the road.

Bucky—cool, suave Bucky—had actually blushed.

They sat in companionable silence after that. As New Hampshire gave way to Massachusetts, the traffic picked up and Bucky became more cautious with his driving. Normally, driving with Bucky was an exercise in white knuckles and swearing, but he clearly wanted to make sure his new car was going to make it all the way back to New York in one piece.

They stopped for lunch as they circled Boston, and Steve grasped Bucky’s hand as they walked to the café they’d chosen to eat at.

Bucky glanced down at their entwined hands.

“So, is this a date then?” Bucky asked.

Steve laughed. “It could be, I guess. But there’s a part of me that feels like, I dunno, we should do something a little more… Significant for our first proper date.” Regretfully he let go of Bucky's hand to hold the door open as they entered the cafe.

“What, you wanna romance me, Rogers?”

“So what if I do?” Steve replied.

After they found a table and ordered food, Steve picked up the conversation again. “So, what do you think? About a proper date, I mean? I'd really like to take you out. Somewhere nice."  
  
"That's for people who don't know each other already," Bucky said. "We already know everything about each other."  
  
"Well maybe I do want to romance you. Is that so bad?" Steve said, feeling petulant. "I want to show you just how much you mean to me."  
  
"Aw, you sap!" Bucky softly punched Steve in the shoulder, but he was blushing as he did it.  
  
"Ha! You like the idea too. I know you, Buck."  
  
"Okay, you might be right." Bucky grinned and put his chin on his hands to look up at Steve as he batted his eyelashes. "So, where do you want to take me?"  
  
"I haven't decided yet. But I'm not sure when we'll manage it. Tonight, if we get home..."  
  
"Too tired," Bucky said.  
  
"Right. Then it's Christmas Eve, which means we go to our parents..."  
  
Bulky grimaced. "And we won't see each other until after Boxing Day."  
  
"We're going to Sam and Riley's on the twenty-seventh—"  
  
"—And Maria's on the twenty-eighth." Bucky finished.  
  
"Then I have to go back to ma’s to see the Irish cousins for a few days,” Steve said. “I don't know about you, but I'm going to need a break from food and parties."  
  
"No kidding," Bucky sighed. "The thirty-first will be ridiculous, and probably booked out."  
  
"How about I plan something for the week of the first then? Once things are a bit quieter?" Steve asked.  
  
"It seems a long time to wait.'  
  
"I know, but I want to do right by you, Buck."  
  
Bucky leaned over to give Steve a quick peck on the cheek. "Alright, Steve. Whatever you want."  
  
"Do you want to tell people?" Steve asked. "I wonder, maybe, we should wait just a little?"  
  
"Give ourselves a chance to settle into being boyfriends? You know the teasing we're going to get once we come clean..." Bucky frowned. "Becca is going to be so smug."  
  
"Yeah. There will be so many 'I told you so's.'"  
  
"Ugh," Bucky huffed. "She'll be insufferable."

"Shall we give it a couple of weeks then?" Steve checked.  
  
"Yeah. I'm happy with that." Bucky reached across the table to take Steve's hand. "And maybe a couple of dates as well?"  
  
Steve squeezed Bucky's hand. "Definitely."

*******  

Happily, they, and Bucky's precious car, made it home that evening. Earlier in the day, Steve had some ideas about what they might get up to that night, but they were both too exhausted to do anything but fall asleep on the couch. They did go to bed together again, and shared sleepy kisses as they drifted off, Bucky in Steve's arms, Steve's nose pressed to the back of Bucky's neck.  
  
As predicted, the next week was hectic. Between family obligations, work, and parties, they hardly saw each other. Bucky did sleep in Steve's bed the one night they were both home though, which pleased Steve immensely. Waking up with Bucky in his arms made him happier than he'd ever thought possible.  
  
New Year's Eve had seen them out with all their friends at their favourite bar in Brooklyn, though Steve did sneak Bucky away to share a kiss just before midnight.  
  
Finally, they made it to the second of January, and the date Steve had planned for Bucky. He'd told Bucky to dress up nice for dinner, but hadn't told him anything about where they were going.

Steve was dressed in his 'good' blue shirt, dark blue jeans, and his favourite brown leather jacket. He'd put product in his hair, trying to mess it up a little at the front without it actually looking messy. A close shave and a dash of Cologne, and Steve thought he was ready to go.  
  
Bucky was waiting for him in the kitchen. He must've gone shopping for a new shirt, as he was wearing a brown shirt and tie that Steve had never seen before, paired with black slacks. Both the shirt and slacks were perfect, showing off Bucky's arms (and ass). Steve was so glad that he was allowed stare at Bucky's ass now.  
  
"Wow," Bucky said, as he looked at Steve. "You do scrub up well, Rogers." There was a predatory glint to his eyes that made Steve blush.  
  
"Yeah, well, you're looking pretty fine yourself, Buck," Steve replied. He put his hands around Bucky's waist to kiss him. Bucky immediately opened his mouth for Steve, lips and tongue hot against Steve's own.  
  
Steve gave in and kissed Bucky hungrily. They had been too tired and busy for much more than trading sleepy kisses as they went to bed. Tonight, Steve hoped, that would change.  
  
Eventually, Steve gently pushed Bucky away. "Come on, Buck. We'll be late for our reservation."  
  
"Do we have to go out? We could just stay in...."  
  
Steve grinned. "But you got all dolled up for me, seems a shame to waste it."  
  
Bucky pouted a little. "Fine. Where are we going?"  
  
"It's a surprise,'" Steve said, as he did his jacket up. Bucky put on his trench coat (his date trench, not his usual leather bomber, Steve noted) and taking Steve's hand, they went out into the cool night air.  
  
Getting off the subway near Coney Island, Steve could see that Bucky thought he had it figured out.  
  
"You wanna make out with me under the boardwalk, is that it, Steve?" Bucky teased.  
  
"Nope, that is not where we're going," Steve replied, taking Bucky's hand again and walking in the opposite direction to the attractions. He led them to a small marina, where a cruise boat was docked.  
  
"A dinner cruise?" Bucky asked.  
  
"Yeah, I thought it would be a good way to see the city from a different angle. Kind of like us," Steve said shyly.  
  
"You sap, Rogers," Bucky said as he pecked Steve on the cheek. “It’s perfect.” 

It was both wonderful and strange, being on a date with Bucky. The lights of the city sparkled on the water, creating as romantic a scene as Steve could have hoped for. Later in the evening, as the boat cruised past the statue of Liberty, Bucky took his hand.  
  
"Thank you for this, Steve," Bucky said with a soft smile. "You were right, it is nice to be with you, on a romantic date, not just hanging out at home."  
  
"I'm glad," Steve replied. "I just wanted you to know how much you mean to me."  
  
"I’m sorry it took me so long to realise what you mean to me," Bucky smiled, a little sadly. "So much wasted time."  
  
"Stop worrying about it," Steve told him. "We got here, and it's good, yeah?"  
  
Bucky leaned back in his seat. "Depends. You put out on the first date, Rogers?" Bucky gave him a lecherous grin.  
  
"You know me, Barnes, I'm a third date kind of guy." Bucky's face drooped a little, so Steve decided to put him out of his misery. "But for you? I'm a sure thing." Steve gave Bucky a leer of his own, with a cheesy wink.  
  
By the time they got back to the apartment, some of the ease that Steve had felt earlier in the evening had dissipated, replaced with nervousness. He wasn't worried about how sex would change him and Bucky—on the contrary, that would now only be for the good. But the sex itself? He was getting a little anxious.  
  
Steve had shared an apartment with Bucky for years now. And the walls were thin. Bucky had had a lot of sex over the years. He knew that Bucky liked sex, as he would always vent to Steve the next morning when it had been disappointing. Or rave when it was fantastic.  
  
What if Steve turned out to be a disappointment?  
  
Bucky grasped Steve's collar as soon as they were in the door, and pulled him in for a deep, slow kiss. Steve responded in kind, brushing his tongue against Bucky's lips, asking a question, seeking entrance. Bucky opened his mouth for him, and the kiss turned dirty.  
  
Eventually they broke apart to catch their breath. "You’re a great kisser, Steve, who taught you so well?" When Steve started to answer, Bucky put a finger against his lips. "That was a rhetorical question, I don't actually want to know. I only wish it had been me."  
  
Steve smiled, and leaned in to kiss Bucky again, and he gradually began to move them towards his bedroom. Clothes were gradually discarded, skin exposed, and by the time they got to Steve's bed, they were down to just their boxers and socks.  
  
Bucky was even wearing his 'good' boxers, Steve noticed.  
  
"You bought new underwear," Bucky commented, as they sat on the bed.  
  
Steve blushed. "Well, I was hoping to get lucky tonight..."  
  
"And most of your boxers are full of holes." Bucky grinned. "I don't know if it’s weird or not, that we know all these things about each other already.”  
  
"You’re overthinking it," Steve said, pushing Bucky back into the pillows, and kissing him soundly. It was reassuring that Bucky seemed to be nervous too, which gave Steve some of his own confidence back. "Relax, and enjoy it."  
  
Steve needn't have worried about disappointing Bucky. Soon they were moving against each other, Bucky's cock hard against Steve's. Steve moved his hand down to grasp his cock against Bucky’s, and Bucky thrust up into his hand, his cock slick and hot.

As Steve mouthed at Bucky's jaw, his other hand tweaked Bucky's nipple, eliciting a soft moan from Bucky as he panted against Steve’s neck.  
  
They continued, kissing, touching, exploring until Bucky arched under Steve and came with a grunt into Steve's hand. Bucky looked so beautiful, Steve thought, and after a few more thrusts, he followed Bucky over the edge.  
  
They panted softly, as they lay close together, coming down from their release.

“God, why was I so stupid to think I didn’t want this with you?” Bucky said.

Steve just smiled, and brushed a lock of hair from Bucky’s face. "I love you, Bucky Barnes."  
  
"I love you, Steve Rogers," Bucky told him, and then gently kissed Steve's mouth.  
  
It was definitely Steve's best (and last) first date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay! Like Steve and Bucky, my break over the holidays became very busy, but we got there in the end :D 
> 
> Initially I wasn't going to include the fake-relationship trope—too many tropes, I thought—yet here we are...
> 
> Thank you for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still on [tumblr](https://merryrf.tumblr.com/), also now [twitter](https://twitter.com/Merryrf2), and flailing on [pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.io/Merryrf)!


End file.
